Report: Microsoft excluding Minecraft creator from anniversary event over ‘comments and opinions’

Microsoft will exclude Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson from the game’s 10-year anniversary celebrations later this month, reports Variety. The company says Persson’s “comments and opinions” are simply too toxic for him to be associated with its brand. The news comes one month after Microsoft quietly scrubbed references to Persson from the game’s loading screen.

“His comments and opinions do not reflect those of Microsoft or Mojang and are not representative of Minecraft,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Variety.

Minecraft was officially released in 2011 after a lengthy period in beta and has since gone on to become one of the most popular video games of all time. It boasts over 90 million players of all ages, and is used as a teaching tool in schools. Minecraft’s ubiquity comes in part from its available on virtually every modern gaming platform, from computers to consoles to mobile devices.

In 2014, Microsoft purchased Minecraft and its developer, the Swedish studio Mojang, for $2.5 billion. In the years since his payout, he has become increasingly erratic, promoting abhorrent social and political views to his more than 3.7 million Twitter followers. His exploits include publicly promoting bigoted theories about the relative value of cultures and races, as well as the defamation of women and the LGBTQ community generally.

Microsoft says Persson will not be present at a event being held in Stockholm on May 17.

Update: Microsoft declined to comment on our story.